Oh well, I must be getting older...Even so, was it not James Dean who was known as a hipster. Myself, I would call this guy retro, in style. Something like an extra out of a happy days tv series. Anyways, hat off to the guy that can bring any of this or any science look 'cool' again and give engineering of any type, a boost. And just remember, it was a New Zealander who headed some of the JPL projects over 40 years ago during the Space Race.

It's used all the time... and I personally have used the word to describe people a lot. Most people my age in the tech space living in the California bay area can be described as "hipster". Do a google image search and you'll see for yourself.

In complete agreement with you on the whole "hipster" debate. I would say my 30 yr old cousin in the Echo Park section of LA is more of a hipster. Technically very savvy, entrepreneurial and business agile, who dresses the ruffled and unstyled way. I guess anyone who is media articulate with a tan and an earring at JPL will make the cut ;-)

It appears Steltzner was so supremely focused on engineering physics that he never noticed the age difference of his classmates.
Speaking of kids, he and his wife are expecting their second in about three weeks.

People who reinvent themselves are relatively rare. Those who achieve mission success for an orgnization that has come under much public scrutiny lately, are truly 'stellar'.
Question I'd have for Dr. Steltzner was how he managed to endure going back to school with kids at least a few years his junior. He had to have been in school a while to get a PhD.

I was fortunately enough this morning to 'chance upon' the LIVE screening of the Mars landing, that of Curiosity that is!!! To see the guys at JPL voice out aloud how everything was going on with pin-point precision sooo many thousands of miles away: It just amazed me with how far we have progressed where we can plan things at such a distance and not miss a single detail in PERFECTION! :)